In recent years, it has become a daily matter for a general user to connect a computer to a network and acquire various kinds of information through the network or to perform communication between computers through a network in order to deliver information. Various interfaces have been proposed in order to achieve transmission and reception of information through a network or achieve smooth and easy communication between computers. For example, also a bookmark function of a browser and a communication destination retaining function (address book) of communication software can be considered as interfaces for efficiently performing acquisition of information, transmission and reception of information and communication through a network.
Further, as a method for more efficient acquisition of information and communication on the Internet, a method has been proposed which uses an “information image” with which image information and related information which causes a predetermined action to be performed based on the image information are processed as one handling unit. The information image can be managed readily because an image file and a plurality of pieces of related information are managed as one handling unit.
As regards an operation and so forth of an apparatus with an information image through a network, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-92575 discloses that icons corresponding to a plurality of connected apparatus are displayed as a GUI relating to connection of the apparatus on a monitor and a display form of the icons is changed to display a connection state of the apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-216713 discloses that a connection state of a connected apparatus is displayed in the form of an icon on a computer to which the operation apparatus is connected and operations of an operation apparatus are displayed each in the form of an icon (a recording icon, a reproduction icon, a recording reservation icon and so forth) so that an operator can perform setting and so forth by a simple operation.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 10-188390 discloses that a program icon is dragged to and dropped into a time zone display portion of a recording apparatus in order that recording reservation can be performed readily.
Further, regarding the access right to information, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-253042 discloses an information access right management system wherein a database for managing the access right to information relating to an electronic name card is provided and a person who prepared the electronic name card sets the access right to laid-open information.
However, as regards such limitation to utilization of an information image, where a link destination or a communication destination of an information image limits the access period or limits information provision contents, there is a problem that it is difficult to set, in an information image (apparatus information image) which specifies the position of an apparatus and is used for operation of the apparatus, acquisition of information from the apparatus and so forth, the access right, utilization limitation and so forth regarding utilization and so forth of the apparatus information image and the pertaining apparatus to perform authentication.
Meanwhile, duplication and so forth of an information image are generally free, and duplicates are same as each other. Accordingly, acquiring persons of such duplicates cannot be identified from one another, and they can receive the benefit relating to the information image similarly to an owner of the original information image. In other words, there is a problem that it is difficult to grasp a real owner of an information image and it is difficult to set the access right, utilization limitation and so forth for each owner of an information image.
Further, where an information image has a plurality of utilization items (predetermined actions), there is a problem that it is difficult to set the access right, utilization limitation and so forth for each utilization item (predetermined action).
Furthermore, there is a problem that it is difficult to change the set access right, utilization limitation and so forth at an arbitrary point of time after provision or the like of an information image.
A countermeasure for allowing an information image providing side to limit and manage, for each of users, such an act as, for example, to send e-mail to which an information image owned by a user is annexed to a friend or the like or to record such an information image onto a flexible disk and carry out the flexible disk has not been available. Further, it has been impossible to change the period of utilization of an information image provided once to a user after the information image is provided or to change the owner limitation (for example, such change that, although it was prescribed when the information image was provided that the information image cannot be assigned to another person, such assignment is permitted after lapse of a certain period of time). Further, a countermeasure for an information image providing person to stop utilization of the information image only by a particular user has not been available. It is particularly difficult to grasp that a user or the like who has acquired an information image by duplication or the like owns the information image, and it is very difficult to take such a countermeasure as to stop utilization or the like because of a retroactive reason.
In the above-described Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-92575, interconnection of different apparatus is carried out by use of an icon, but there is no description about authentication by setting or the like of the access right.
Meanwhile, according to the above-described Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-216713, an icon merely indicates an operation apparatus or an operation but does not include information of the access right or the like. Further, there is no description about a function regarding connection limitation from an icon to an apparatus or the like and also of authentication.
Further, in the above-described Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 10-188390, a function relating to use limitation to a program icon or relating to authentication is not mentioned.
The information access right management system disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-253042 includes a database for managing the access right to information relating to an electronic name card. However, the electronic name card principally has only a limited function to disclosure of information relating to the electronic name card (information reference function). However, the document is quite silent of transmission and reception of information and so forth through the electronic name card. Further, as regards acquisition of an electronic name card, the document discloses only a method of individually acquiring an electronic name card from an electronic name card creator. Thus, the information access right management system lacks in flexibility in terms of promotion of provision of information and promotion of expansion of a network.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an information image utilization system and so forth by which it is possible to set, in an information image (apparatus information image) which specifies the position of an apparatus and is used for operation of the apparatus, acquisition of information from the apparatus through a network and so forth, the access right, utilization limitation and so forth regarding operation of the apparatus, acquisition of information and so forth through the apparatus information image to authenticate.